Fishing lures and molds for making same

ABSTRACT

A soft plastic fishing lure may be made to float by incorporating air bubbles therein by methods and in molds that draw air from inside the molds in which the lures are cast.

This application is a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/802,771,which was filed on Mar. 12, 2001 now U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,567.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to fishing lures, and more particularly, to softbodied fishing lures that float, and to molds for and methods of makingfloating fishing lures. Floating soft bodied fishing lures have beenmade by adding to plastic formulations chemicals that produce gasbubbles in the cured plastic. The resulting lures were tough and notnatural feeling, and the colors were opaque and difficult to control.Also, air has been incorporated by agitating melted plastic before alure body is formed, but the size, location and distribution of airbubbles in the lure can not be controlled. Selected areas of prior lurescould not be made devoid of bubbles.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide improvedfishing lures and improved molds for and methods of making the lures.

Another object is to encapsulate air bubbles in fishing lure bodieswithout diminishing the transparency or translucency of the plastic fromwhich the lures are made.

An additional object is to provide floating fishing lures that havecraters on their exterior surface for holding scenting and tasteimparting agents.

Another object is to control the number and location of air bubbles infishing lures.

An additional object is to provide fishing lures that have air bubblesin preselected locations but have no bubbles in other preselected areas.

A further object is to place differently sized air bubbles in differentselected locations in fishing lures.

Another object is to provide methods and molds that can locate airbubbles only in predetermined portions of fishing lures and prevent thebubbles from forming in other predetermined portions of the lures.

A further object is to provide floating plastic fishing lures that aredurable, economical, highly attractive to fish, easy to use, and whichdo not possess defects found in similar prior art lures.

A further object is to control the size of air bubbles in plasticfishing lures.

A further object is to provide improved methods for making the fishinglures described herein.

Another object is to provide porous molds that breathe and control thesize and location of air bubbles in plastic fishing lures.

Other objects and advantages of the fishing lures and manufacturingmethods and molds incorporating this invention will be found in thespecification and claims and the scope of the invention will be setforth in the claims.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic top plan view of a fishing lure in accord withthis invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of a step in aprocess of making fishing lures in accord with this invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of anotherstep in the process of making fishing lures.

FIG. 4 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of anotherstep in the process of making fishing lures.

FIG. 5 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of anotherstep in the process of making fishing lures.

FIG. 6 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of anotherstep in the process of making fishing lures.

FIG. 7 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of anotherstep in the process of making fishing lures.

FIG. 8 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of anotherstep in the process of making fishing lures.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross sectional view taken generally along theline 9—9 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of anotherstep in the process of making fishing lures.

FIG. 11 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of a step inanother process of making fishing lures in accord with this invention.

FIG. 12 is a schematic partially cross sectional side view of a step inanother process of making fishing lures in accord with this invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The drawing shows a soft natural feeling, flexible fishing lure 1 inaccord with this invention. A number of spaced visible air bubbles 2 areencapsulated inside of the body of the lure. The air bubbles adjacentone end 3 of the lure may be a different size from the bubbles adjacentthe other end 4. The upper surface 5 of the lure 1 may be essentiallysmooth and uninterrupted except that it may have randomly located pockmarks or craters 6. A portion 7 of the lure at the end 3 may be solidand bubble free to facilitate impaling the lure on a hook or forconnecting the lure to other rigging.

Preferably, the lure 1 is made from a soft, flexible, natural feelingsynthetic plastic material, such as a thermoplastic plastisol resinformulation that includes polyvinyl chloride plasticized with esters ofphathalate. It is also preferred that the lure body be colored andtranslucent or transparent so that the bubbles 2 are visible. However,natural and synthetic rubbers may be used for the body of lure 1 as maythermosetting synthetic plastics.

The lure 1 may be made by the process illustrated in FIGS. 2-10. In FIG.2 a model 10 of the lure 1 has been placed on the bottom of a container11. The model 10 may be shaped to resemble any aquatic or land creatureupon which fish feed, or it may have an unnatural shape that provokesfish to strike. A supply 12 of uncured ceramic slip 14 is poured intothe container embedding the model 10 in the slip. The slip 14 is allowedto cure around the model 10 and thus to produce the mold 15, as shown inFIG. 3. The cured slip must be porous and must have air entrainedtherein so that the body of mold 15 will be a breathing porous mass ofpores and interstices that permit the passage of air there through.Mackie's premixed ceramic slip from Mackie Newton Ceramics, Inc. hasbeen used to practice this invention.

After the slip 14 has cured, the mold 15 is removed from the container11, and the model 10 is removed from the body of the mold, as shown inFIG. 4. The space previously occupied by the model 10 defines the moldcavity 16 in which the lure 1 will be cast. The cavity 16 must be sealedby completely coating the cavity with a ceramic glaze 17 that isimpervious to air. The glaze 17 may be applied by painting in on thesurfaces of the cavity with a brush 19. After the glaze 17 has cured, itmust seal the porous body of the mold 15 from contact with hot moltenmaterial from which the lure 1 will be cast. Duncan's 1N1001 clearInfinity premixed ceramic glaze has been used to practice thisinvention.

The seal produced by the cured glaze 17 must be broken by openings 19that penetrate into the porous mold body. The openings 19 may be holesor scratches of any shape. As shown in FIG. 6, the cured glaze 17 may bepunctured with a sharp tool 20, such as an awl or a needle, to producecircular holes 21 that penetrate through the glaze into the porousceramic of the mold body. The tool 20 also may be used to scratchthrough the cured glaze. Alternatively, the holes 21 may be drilledthrough the glaze and into the mold body. This exposes the interior ofthe mold to the atmosphere when the cavity 16 is empty. It has beendiscovered that when the holes 21 are sized as disclosed herein, the airentrained in the porous mass of the mold 15 can be released into thebody of the lure 1 during the casting process, and the molten plasticwill not clog the holes 21. The holes 21 should be no larger than about0.050 inches and no smaller than about 0.0001 inches.

FIG. 7 shows a supply 22 of molten plastic resin 23 that has been heatedto a preferred range of about 280 to about 400 degrees Fahrenheit beingpoured into the cavity 16. The cavity is essentially filled, as shown inFIGS. 8 and 9, and the resin is permitted to cure as it cools to aboutthe ambient or room temperature. Air from the interior of the porousmold will rise into the molten plastic 23 and form the bubbles 2therein. The air from inside the mold is pushed upwardly because the hotplastic in the above temperature range heats the mold and thus expandsthe entrained air. As the plastic cools down from this temperature rangeit has sufficient surface tension to prevent the liquid plastic fromentering the holes 21. When the resin remains in the cavity 16 for up toabout fifteen minutes until it cures at ambient or room temperature,bubbles 2 will be trapped or encapsulated within the body of the lure 1.

Some of the bubbles 2 will move upwardly through the liquid resin whileit is curing until they burst through the upper surface 5. Theseeruptions will result in the craters 6 in the upper surface 5 of thelure. These craters 6 may be used by fishermen to hold scent or tastematerial on the lure 1. When the resin has finished curing, the lure 1is removed from the cavity 16, as shown in FIG. 10. Since the porousceramic interior of the mold 15 is now exposed to the atmosphere,ambient air enters the interior of the mold through the holes 21 andrecharges the mold for creating bubbles 2 when the next lure 1 is cast.

The location of the bubbles 2 in the lure 1 can be controlled bypredetermining the location of the holes 21 in the mold cavity 16. Holesmay be selected within the preferred size range of about 0.0001 to about0.050 inches to determine and control the size of the bubbles 2. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 8, the holes 21 adjacent the end 24 of themold are larger than the holes 21 adjacent the opposite end 25. Thisresults in the bubbles 2 at the corresponding end 3 of the lure bodybeing a first general size that is larger than the second general sizeof the bubbles at the opposite end 4 of the lure. Similarly, FIG. 9shows that relatively smaller holes 21 at the center of the mold resultin smaller bubbles 2 at the center of the lure body than those producedby the larger holes 21 adjacent the outer edges of the mold. By thuscontrolling the size and location -of the bubbles 2 within the body oflure 1, its buoyancy can be controlled. For example, one end or portionof the lure 1 may be made to float above a different end or portion ofthe lure. The action of the lure 1 as it is retrieved can also beinfluenced by controlling the size and location of the bubbles 2. Thereare no holes at the terminal end 24 so that there will not be anybubbles where the end 3 of the lure terminates. This makes thebubble-free end 3 stronger and better able to stay on a hook and resistthe shearing forces that occur when a fish strikes the lure or when thelure snags.

FIG. 11 shows another embodiment of the invention that is identical tothe above embodiment, except for the steps employed to create the cavity16 in the mold 15. First a supply 12 of the uncured ceramic slip 14 ispoured into the empty container 11 until the container is essentiallyfilled. Then the model 10 of the lure is embedded by pressing it intothe upper surface of the uncured slip 14. After the slip has cured, themodel 10 is removed, and the remaining steps in the creation of the moldand the casting of the lure 1 are identical to those described above.

FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the invention that is identical tothe above embodiments, except for the steps employed to create thecavity 16 in the mold 15. The slip 14 is poured into a container andallowed to cure as shown and described with references to FIG. 11without embedding a model of the lure in the uncured slip. After theslip has cured, the body of the mold 15 is removed from the containerand tools, such as a rotating burr 26 and/or hand chisels, are used tocarve the cavity 16 in which the lure will be cast. The remaining stepsin the creation of the mold and the casting of the lure 1 are identicalto those described above.

While the present invention has been described with reference toparticular embodiments and method steps, it is not intended toillustrate or describe all of the equivalent forms or ramificationsthereof. For example, the lure body may be shaped to resemble anyaquatic or land creature upon which fish feed, or the lure body may haveany unnatural shape that provokes fish to strike. Also, the words usedare words of description rather than limitation, and various changes maybe made without departing from the spirit or scope of the inventiondisclosed herein. It is intended that the appended claims cover all suchchanges as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:
 1. A fishing lure comprising a soft, flexible body of onlysolid plastic, a plurality of air bubbles encapsulated entirely withinsaid solid plastic body, said air bubbles being encapsulated within saidsolid plastic body only at predetermined locations that are spaced alonga longitudinal axis of said solid plastic body, and said solid plasticbody being devoid, of any randomly dispersed encapsulated air bubbles.2. A fishing lure having a solid plastic body as defined in claim 1,wherein the air bubbles at a first of said predetermined spacedlocations have a first size and the air bubbles at a second of saidpredetermined spaced locations have a second size that is different fromsaid first size.
 3. A fishing lure having a solid plastic body asdefined in claim 2, wherein said air bubbles having said first size arelarger than said bubbles having said second size so as to cause one endof said solid plastic body to float above a different end of said solidplastic body.
 4. A fishing lure having a solid plastic body as definedin claim 1, further comprising a predetermined location that is spacedalong the longitudinal axis of said solid plastic body being a solidplastic mass that is completely devoid of any air bubbles so as tostrengthen said solid plastic body sufficiently to enable said solidplastic body to resist shearing forces that occur during fishing.
 5. Afishing lure having a solid plastic body as defined in claim 4, whereinthe predetermined location that is completely devoid of any air bubblesis adjacent one terminal end of said solid plastic body.
 6. A fishinglure having a solid plastic body as defined in claim 1, wherein the airbubbles at a first of said predetermined spaced locations have a firstsize and the air bubbles at a second of said predetermined spacedlocations have a second size that is different from said first size,said air bubbles having said first size being larger than said bubbleshaving said second size so as to cause one end of said solid plasticbody to float above an opposite end of said solid plastic body, and saidsolid plastic body further comprising a third of the predeterminedlocations that are spaced along the longitudinal axis of said solidplastic body being plastic that is completely devoid of any air bubblesso as to strengthen said solid plastic body sufficiently to enable saidsolid plastic body to resist shearing forces that occur during fishing,and said third predetermined location being at one end of said solidplastic body.
 7. A fishing lure body consisting essentially of soft,flexible, solid plastic having a plurality of air bubbles encapsulatedtherewithin, said encapsulated air bubbles occurring only at preselectedlocations that are spaced along a preselected length of said solidplastic body, and said solid plastic body being devoid of air bubblesexcept at said preselected spaced locations.
 8. A solid plastic fishinglure body as defined in claim 7, further comprising a preselectedlocation that is spaced along the preselected length of said solidplastic body being solid plastic that is completely devoid of any airbubbles so as to strengthen said solid plastic body sufficiently toenable said solid plastic body to resist shearing forces that occurduring fishing.
 9. A solid plastic fishing lure body as defined in claim8, wherein the preselected location that is completely devoid of any airbubbles is adjacent one terminal end of said solid plastic body.
 10. Afishing lure body consisting essentially of soft, flexible, solidplastic having a plurality of air bubbles encapsulated therewithin, saidencapsulated air bubbles occurring only at preselected locations thatare spaced along preselected length of said solid plastic body, the airbubbles at a first of said preselected spaced locations have a firstcontrolled size and the air bubbles at a second of said preselectedspaced locations have a second controlled size that is different fromsaid first controlled size, and said solid plastic body being devoid ofair bubbles except at said preselected spaced locations.
 11. A solidplastic fishing lure body as defined in claim 10, wherein said airbubbles having said first controlled size are larger than said bubbleshaving said second controlled size so as to cause one end of said solidplastic body to float above a different end of said solid plastic body.12. A fishing lure body consisting essentially of soft, flexible, solidplastic having a plurality of air bubbles encapsulated therewithin, saidencapsulated air bubbles occurring only at preselected locations thatare spaced along a preselected length of said solid plastic body,wherein the air bubbles at a first of said preselected spaced locationshave a first size and the air bubbles at a second of said preselectedspaced locations have a second size that is different from said firstsize, said air bubbles having said first size being larger than saidbubbles having said second size so as to cause an end of said solidplastic body to float above an opposite end of said solid plastic body,and said solid plastic body further comprising a third of thepreselected locations that are spaced along the preselected length ofsaid solid plastic body being solid plastic that is completely devoid ofany air bubbles so as to strengthen said solid plastic body sufficientlyto enable said solid plastic body to resist shearing forces that occurduring fishing, said third preselected location being adjacent oneterminal end of said solid plastic body.
 13. A fishing lure comprising asoft, flexible, transparent lure body consisting essentially of solidplastic material having a plurality of air bubbles of controlled sizeencapsulated therewithin, said encapsulated air bubbles occurring onlyat predetermined locations that are spaced along the length of saidsolid plastic body, the encapsulated air bubbles at a first of saidpredetermined locations adjacent one end of said solid plastic bodyhaving a first predetermined general size and the air bubbles at asecond of said predetermined locations at an opposite end of said solidplastic body having a second predetermined general size that isdifferent from said first general size, said air bubbles having saidfirst predetermined general size being larger than said bubbles havingsaid second predetermined size so as to cause said one end of said solidplastic body to float above said opposite end of said solid plasticbody, and a third of said predetermined locations that are spaced alongthe length of said solid plastic body being completely devoid of any airbubbles so as to strengthen said solid plastic body sufficiently toenable said solid plastic body to resist shearing forces that occurduring fishing, and said third predetermined location being at one endof said solid plastic body.